It stretched as far as the eye could see.
Anyway, as long as no one touched that sword, it would be fine.
Though that holy sword had already lost its luster, it was still the nemesis of vampires.
"Not bad. Another million Divine Authority Jade gained."
The corners of Luo Shu's lips curved slightly upward, his smile as gentle as the wind.
Just two hours after Moon Coral was released, it had brought him another massive profit.
Digging more holes really was the hard truth!
The followers of the "Merlin" account had now surpassed one hundred million.
Their loyalty was even more terrifying. If Merlin showed up now and livestreamed some product sales, saying things like, "Family, you know what I mean..."
Ah, no.
Wrong channel.
It should be...
"Family, the witch Morgan mocked me for being poor. I, Merlin, can endure humiliation, but I can't let my family be looked down on by her."
"Send those Carnivals! Let Morgan see what the Merlin Army is made of!"
"The picture is too beautiful. I don't dare imagine it."
Luo Shu covered his face.
Soon, he glanced at the Silver Ripple to the left of his field of vision and began to ponder.
He tossed those messy thoughts aside for now.
Now that he had some money on hand, what should he spend all this Divine Authority Jade on first?
54. King Arthur Template, the Holy Sword Shocks the World, and the Brits Are Dumbfounded!
With seven million Divine Authority Jade, materializing Servants was not out of the question.
Take Artoria, the King of Knights from Fate/stay night, for example. Compared to her true self upon the Throne of Heroes, her version in the Fifth Holy Grail War was incomplete. Materializing her might only take a little over a hundred thousand Divine Authority Jade.
Because of insufficient mana, she could not unleash her trump-card Noble Phantasm, Excalibur.
But in close combat, she was still a Fourth-Order powerhouse, capable of destroying a street with a casual gesture.
And she possessed divine skills such as Mana Burst and Wind King Barrier.
Even Isayama Yomina, the "Agent" of Chiba City's Disaster Countermeasures Bureau, who commanded hundreds of Demon Exorcists and held an exceptionally distinguished position, would not last more than a few exchanges before Servant Artoria.
Of course, materializing Artoria with Excalibur would be extremely expensive.
That was an A++ Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm.
Its power and range were so immense that almost nothing could compare to it!
If she released its True Name toward a city, she could literally cleave an entire city in half.
Its power was enough to rival...
No, it far surpassed Big Ivan, the most powerful nuclear bomb ever created in all of human history!
—Its coverage started at sixty kilometers, with ultra-high temperatures and multiple layers of damage.
However, impressive as it was, Luo Shu did not intend to materialize a complete Artoria. Before Fate/stay night showed Saber unleashing Excalibur, materializing the complete King of Knights came with a low discount.
Humanity only had an impression of her physical strength; their impression of the holy sword's power was relatively shallow.
Besides, Artoria's strongest Noble Phantasm was not the holy sword, but Avalon, its sheath.
There was no rush to begin a Holy Grail War in the modern world.
Why not...
Strengthen himself first?
Luo Shu scratched his head.
Now that he had some money, he should first strengthen himself to the Servant level.
Otherwise, he truly had no sense of security.
He might as well use Saber's body as the template.
Based on humanity's impression of her, he could even enjoy a twenty-percent discount.
It would probably consume around one hundred thousand Divine Authority Jade.
That would allow him, Luo, to enter the Fourth-Order Domain.
Looking across this world, he would count as one of humanity's strongest figures in the open.
What a profit!
After pondering for a moment, Luo Shu said thoughtfully,
"Void, use the King of Knights from Fate as the template and materialize the strength she has currently displayed onto me!"
"Buzz buzz... (As you command)!!"
A streak of Silver Ripple rippled excitedly.
Divine Authority Jade was consumed at high speed, and an invisible, mysterious, profound light descended.
Omnipotent power rapidly washed over Luo Shu's entire body. Fluorescence tightly enveloped his cells, continuously nourishing his soul.
It was a shocking sublimation, an ultimate transformation akin to becoming a dragon.
"Rumble...!!"
The young man in moon-white feather robes closed his eyes. His body floated in midair as his aura poured forth like a flood bursting through a dam.
His dark hair cascaded down, turning a sky-blue shade, ancient and weathered.
His skin emitted a lustrous glow. His features were gentle, making him look like a divine being. It was as if his life had entered a higher dimension, inspiring boundless awe.
His heart throbbed powerfully, transforming into the Heart of the Red Dragon under the tempering of divine power.
His breathing gradually became deep and distant, as though an immense ocean were contained within him. Beautiful tidal ripples rose around his body.
It was as if the pulsation of every cell resembled an ancient dragon's roar, raging as it fought the heavens.
These were the changes brought about by Artoria's template.
King Arthur herself had originally borne the title "Red Dragon of Britain" in legend, seemingly a name given by the great sage Merlin.
But it had merely been a title, with no connection whatsoever to dragons.
Yet in the Fate series, the backdrop of Britain's downfall became the severance of Mystery—the dragon bloodline. Thus, Uther and Merlin created Artoria, a "human" who perfectly inherited the dragon bloodline.
Thus, she possessed the Dragon Bloodline, able to recover mana merely by breathing.
She was the uncrowned king who led the people of Britain to endure against the will of the world!
Her fate itself was filled with defiance against the laws of heaven!
--
As waves of pure divine power washed over him, his cells became increasingly resilient. Even his skin faintly shone with an unusual radiance, as dazzling as "golden flesh and jade bones," yet also like exquisite porcelain imprinted with the texture of flesh and blood.
The lines of his lower abdomen became smoother, perfectly matching the golden ratio. His muscles were full of explosive power, creating the ultimate beauty of mechanics!
His back was straight, his physique so even and fluid that it seemed divinity had been born within it.
Two silk scripture ribbons covered in black seal-script characters fluttered from his sleeves, filled with mystery.
Simply gazing upon this dragon among men gave one a breathtaking sense of looking down upon the world.
Not to mention a century—throughout the long river of time, how many such beings had ever appeared?
"...That direction?"
Luo Shu slowly opened his eyes and frowned.
He gazed toward Europe, toward an island overseas.
The instant King Arthur's template had materialized, he vaguely sensed an inexplicable familiarity there, as if something were humming.
That sacred and exalted power felt very familiar.
What exactly was it...
"Return!"
He smiled boldly and freely.
Then he raised his hand, releasing a gentle golden light that resonated with the mysterious object.
Whatever it was, he would know once he summoned it.
London.
The British Museum.
In the innermost display case stood an ancient stone platform weathered by time.
Countless mysterious runes were carved upon it, and a rusted broken sword was embedded within.
An elderly blond, blue-eyed curator stood before it with a kindly smile.
Under the admiring gazes of countless visitors, he slowly introduced the broken sword.
"I'm sure everyone knows that this is the legendary holy sword of King Arthur, the Sword in the Stone."
"He drew this sword and became the ancient hero fated to rule Great Britain, the King of Knights."
"In the end, during a battle that violated the spirit of chivalry, Arthur launched a sneak attack on his enemy for the sake of victory, causing the Sword in the Stone to break."
"I have to say, this sword's fate is rather lamentable..."
A visitor inspected it closely and sighed. "It just looks like an ordinary sword..."
Not far away, Mashiro Shiina nodded as well, her gaze slightly disappointed.
After seeing King of Knights Artoria display such a sacred bearing within the Heavenly Curtain, she had held high expectations for the real Sword in the Stone. Yet reality had disappointed her...
After all, from its appearance, it was merely a bronze sword that had failed to withstand the erosion of time.
The visitors all sighed.
For a moment, the atmosphere became somewhat awkward.
--
Suddenly.
As though it had received some kind of signal?
Under the stunned gazes of many visitors, the broken sword atop the stone platform suddenly began to tremble and ring with joy.
It was as if, after enduring countless vicissitudes, it had finally welcomed its gentle mother.
Then the entire museum began to shake violently. Some people instinctively panicked and tried to flee, only to suddenly widen their eyes as they stared ahead, their faces filled with utter terror.
"Clang!!"
A clear sword cry rang out, like the first cry of life after heaven and earth were created.
The rusted bronze sword's surface suddenly shattered. Layer upon layer of ancient verdigris fell away. Amid its violent trembling, several streaks of golden holy radiance shot forth, as pure and chillingly clear as white snow, brimming with righteous fervor.
Within the spreading holy radiance, a sacred sword with a deep-blue hilt could vaguely be seen floating in the air.
In an instant, snow-white holy light drowned everything.
"Crack...!!"
Like a myth come to life, the sacred Sword in the Stone joyfully burst through its display case before the shocked eyes of countless visitors and staff, smashed through the museum ceiling, and departed without the slightest hesitation.
In the end, it transformed into a beautiful golden comet and vanished beyond the horizon.
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